Jackie and the Shadow Snatcher
By Dawn Friedman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Retro illustrations draw kids to fun adventure.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Forgetful Jackie and his brave bulldog, Baxter, go on a hunt to find his missing shadow. With the guidance of Mr. Socrates (billed as the smartest man alive), Jackie decides to take on the nefarious Shadow Snatcher, and he can only hope he'll make it home before his mother does!
Is It Any Good?
With its retro comic stylings, this book is a fun addition to the picture book genre. The story is a little sparse, but the skillful and nostalgic pencil-sketch illustrations are enough to keep the interest of both parent and child. Larry Di Fiori clearly knows his genre, and the illustrations are lush with detail and comic book extras. Kids who love comics will get it right away, and kids just learning will have fun seeing a new-to-them way to effectively illustrate a story.
Families who aren't into the graphic look of the book might not find much else to love. Stripped of its fun packaging, the story is trite and the characters undeveloped, and readers may be troubled by plot holes. Overall, though, the style is so engaging, that the substance doesn't matter quite so much.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the unusual style of this book. Is this more fun to read than "regular" books? How do the pictures help tell the story? Do you think it would be easier or harder to write a book like this? Families may want to try to make comics of their own. Also, they can discuss Jackie's plan to keep his mom in the dark about his adventure. Is this a good idea or a bad one? What might Jackie's mom's reaction be? Is there a better way for Jackie to handle the situation?
Book Details
- Author: Larry Di Fiori
- Illustrator: Larry Di Fiori
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
- Publication date: June 13, 2006
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 7
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate